Foot-blocking for switch-frogs, guard-rails, &amp;c.



0. R'AI TEB. FOOT BLOCKING FOR SWITCH FROGS, GUARD RAILS, 6w.

APPLIOATION IEILED'jAIL 2. 1908.

01. 0Q L 9 Wm M Mn m 1 n m A 0 w I m M m y W... 3 P .X a l W v2 0 w w% c; RAITERJ FOOT BLOCKING FOB. SWITGH FROGS, GUARD RAILS. 6m. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1908.

900,883. Patented Oct. 13,1908.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2 H I I 7/ I m'l'nessesr i Invenhir:

Q By his Attorneys:

OI-IA'RLES RAITER, BRECKENRIDGE, MINNESOTA.

FOOT-BLOCK ING FOB SWITCH-FROGS, GUARD-RAILS, 860.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1908.

Patented Oct. 13, 908.

Serial No. 409,077.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES RAITER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Breckenridge, in the county of Wilkin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot Blocking for Switch-Frogs, Guard-Rails, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved foot blocking for switch frogs, guard rails, and other places where the rails of a track diverge in such manner that the foot of a person walking along the track is liable to be caught between the rails.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

As is well known, many serious accidents have been caused by persons catching their foot in the switch frog between a track rail and a guard rail, or between a track rail and a switch rail. The serious accident, of course, occurs when a person thus has a foot caught in the rail at a point immediately ahead of a running train, in which case a foot or leg is usually cut 0E.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention in several different applications, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. 7

Referring to the drawings, Fi ure 1 is a plan view, showing a portion of the annular track, with my improved foot blockingapplied in three different places, to-wit, between the diverging rails of a switch frog, between the main line rails and switchi'line rails, of a switch, and between the trackrails and guard rails and Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged sections taken, respectively, on the lines x 00 00 90 as m and x x of Fig. 1. V

The numeral 1 indicates the rails of what may be desi nated as the main line and the numeral 2 the rails of what may be desig nated as a side track or switch line.

The numeral 3 indicates a switch frog of standardconstruction, located at the transverse intersection of the inner members of the main track rails 1 and branch track rails 2.

The numeral 4 indicates the guard rails, which are placed transversely on opposite sides of the frog 3 ,one close to the outer track rail and the other close to the outer branch track rail 2. One main track rail 1 and one branch track rail 2 forms split or tapered laterally movable points 2 of the usual construction, which may be operated in the usual way, not necessary for the purposes of this-case to consider.

Hitherto foot fillings or guard blocks have been located in the several places above noted, but in all cases diverging shoulders or Vertical surfaces have been formed between the outer flanges of the rails and portions of the filling blocks. In my invention the filling blocks or foot fillings are so formed that no horizontal diverging shoulders or vertical surfaces are left between the rails and the filling blocks foot fillings and, hence, all possibility of a persons foot being caught and held thereby is eliminated.

Considering first the construction particularly illustrated in Fig. 2 and which shows a filling block or foot filling applied between the diverging portions of the main line rails and of the switch track or branch line rails, the numeral 5 indicates the said filling block, which, in horizontal direction, is made to fit between the diverging rails and, as shown, is secured thereto by one or more nutted bolts 6 passed through the said blocks and through the vertical webs of the rails. The upper surface of this filling block 5 is beveled or curved transversely on its upper surface, as shown at 5 so that it extends approximately from the upper portion of the tread of the switch track rail 2 to a point below the tread of the outer track rail 1, so as to leave clearance for the flanges of the wheels which run over said latter rail.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the construction, respectively, of the so-called toe and heel blocks that are placed between the diver ing rails of the switch frog. The said toe b ock is indicated by the numeral 7 and the said heel block is indicated by the numeral 8, and these blocks are secured to the diverging rails between which they are placed, respectively, by nutted bolts 9 and 10 passed therethrough and through the vertical webs of the said rails. The toe block 7 is provided with a raised central portion 7 and, adjacent to the diverging rails, is formed with gradually downwardly curved surfaces 7 that aflord clearance for the flanges of the wheels that pass over the said rails but, nevertheless, do not form shoulders of any kind between which and the rails a persons foot may be caught and held. The heel block 8 is prowhich the said tread flanges are rounded upvided with a transversely tapered or downwardly curved central portion 8 that extends at its opposite edges approximately to the tops of the diverging rails to which it is secured. This, as is obvious, does not leave any exposed shoulders between which and the rails a persons foot may be caught.

In Fig. 5 the guard rail foot block 11 is se cured between the outer track rails and the diverging portions of the guard rail by means of a nutted bolt 12 passed therethrough and through the vertical webs of the said rails. This block 11 has a curved upper surface 11 that extends approximately from the upper portion of the tread flange of the guard rail and gradually curves downward and then upward to form a junction with the tread flange of the outer rail without, however,

forming any abrupt shoulder or surface between which and either of the rails the foot may be caught.

By reference to Figs. 2, 4 and 5 it will be seen that the curved upper surface of the filling blocks or foot fillings extend upward to points on the tread flanges of the rails above ward so that no rail shoulder is left exposed. The foot fillings or filling blocks, bolted as they are to the rails, very rigidly connect the said rails, and the block used in connection with the guard. rail secures the said guard rail to the main rail much more firmly than the previous devices used for the purpose.

What I claim is:

The combination with diverging rails, of a filling block serving as a foot guard, the .aid filling block having a beveled or curved. upper surface that extends from a point below the tread flange of one of the rails to a point on the tread flange ol' the other rail, above which the said latter noted tread. flange is rounded upward, whereby the rounded upper surface of the rails continues the upward curve of said filling block, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses (/IlARl JES :HAlllClt. Witnesses:

Lnwrs E. JONES, AMY VVIDLUND. 

